Some mechanical devices, such as actuated prosthetic limbs, include multiple components that require different levels of power in order to operate. In this regard, for example, various ones of the components inside the prosthetic limb may perform different operations and have different ranges of motion. Thus, individual components inside the device may also require varying amounts of power that correspond to different sets of operations. As an example, turning a robotic wrist requires different amounts of power depending upon whether the wrist is merely turning for repositioning purposes, or the wrist is turning to attempt to open a jar. Thus, the mechanical load may differ for different operations requiring essentially the same movement.
In healthy human physiology, the spatiotemporal distribution of power delivery (glucose and oxygen delivered by blood) for limb movements is dynamically controlled based on muscle demands by regulating arterial resistance. However, existing prototypes of actuated prosthetic limbs typically match power demands with a static type or location of source. In other words, a few power sources, each having a fixed power/energy density value, and targeted to power a specific part within the limb, are typically employed without any ability to define dynamic control, resulting in limited power routing capabilities to devices and systems that have complex and variable loading conditions.